Oaths and Lovers
by Child-of-the-Dawn
Summary: SPOILERS for 4x13 'The Oath'. The scene at the end from several perspectives. A/R


Title: Oaths and Lovers

Genre: Romance, Angst, Drama, hints of humor.

Rating: K +

Summary: The scene at the end of 'The Oath' from the perspective of the onlookers.

Bill Adama kisses Laura Roslin with every last bit of passion he has left in him. This is goodbye, the chance of meeting again so low he might as well give up the idea that he will get to marry her quietly before her end.

His heart hurts to think that she may die with him already crossed the water, and he prays that he can stand on that bank to await her with those who have gone before alongside. Even Ellen's company he could handle if it mean't he would be there.

Her hands in his hair, her breathy 'I love you' he commits to whatever remains of what he assumes will be a short memory before his life ends. He see the purity among his oath breaking, law forsaking life when they part. And when she is gone, he tries to keep her face in his mind's eye. He has to.

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Iris of the Eights watches Adama kiss Roslin and finds she cannot look away. The part of her that is now uniquely her is amazed. It's beautiful, as the Sixes always said it would be. The part of her that holds Sharon Agathon is struggling not to be horribly embarassed by the CO kissing the President in public. And the part that holds Boomer cries in joy that the wounds she caused may have led to the change of heart that made this love possible.

She doesn't let it show on her face, nor in the movement of her lips, but she prays to God almighty that these two will see each other again, because they embody love like it should be.

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Gaius Baltar watches the passion with which Adama kisses Laura, but he sees the tenderness he'd never of expected from the surly Admiral and comes to the same conclusion as Iris: This is God's love, the love Gaius so reccently gave up. It came about through a greater destiny, a side effect of the doom he himself brought upon his people. That they found each other is incredible. That until now no one had seen their love interfere with their duty is beyond belief, yet there it is.

"Admiral, Madam President, please," he calls reluctantly. He watches Adama's eyes harden, the soft color of them darken to near black orbs, and sighs inside. But at least he knows what is there now, and his heart breaks a little to see the perfection he always sought ripped apart by duty.

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Galen Tyrol watches his Admiral transform into someone he's never seen before, but someone he immediately feels kinship with, as the man all but attacks Laura Roslin's lips. A little voice in the back of his head is telling him that he should be horrified he's watching this, but he pushes it into the darkest corner of his mind. It doesn't matter what he thinks, his only thought should be protecting the Old Man until he has said his goodbye.

Still, he rather enjoys the sight of Lee and Kara fidgeting like children who've just walked in on their parents having sex. It's funny, and reminds him of a time when he'd of gladly joined in heckling them both for it.

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Saul Tigh is torn for the second time in a single day between his embarassment in witnessing such a personal moment like Bill's passionate kiss with the woman he'd never of thought the man would fall for and his pride in his younger friend. Hell, he's bagged the frakin' President herself.

'Thatta boy, Kid.' He thinks with no small amount of macho pride. His best friend scored Laura Roslin.

Then Bill tells him to run and Laura to get in the raptor, and the playful thoughts dissapear as he realizes that he may have just witnessed the last kiss between the two lovers. He looks at Laura's face and makes his choice. He'll die before they hurt this woman's beloved.

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There are few things Kara Thrace knows for certain anymore.

One is that she loves Lee Adama. Another is that the Old Man doesn't deserve this mutiny, regardless of his mistakes (and she will admit there are plenty). The last is that the love between Bill Adama and Laura Roslin is something she has never seen before and something she'll never see again in any lifetime.

It also makes her blush up to her ears. These are the only parents she really feels she has ever had, her biological father's early death and Socrata's shitty child rearing mere stepping stones in her memory. That her mother and father are sharing their last kiss passes through her mind until all thats left is '.Kissing' and she fidgets. There are some things, despite their beauty, that a daughter does NOT want to see.

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Lee Adama watches his father's face change, softening as he takes Laura in his arms and kisses her with more passion than he'd ever expect from him. This is Dad, stone faced and distant. But it isn't. It's BILL, the man Lee'd never really met until now.

He blushed and turns away, only to find his eyes coming back to the lovers—for they stopped being the untouchable leaders a long time ago—in awe. He wants that sort of thing. The adult he is feels embarassed at his intrusion into this moment of beauty. The child wants to run and hide and pretend he didn't see mommy and daddy making out.

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Years later, when the dust has settled and the dead are counted, the survivors among the group present in the aft airlock sit down together on a grassy hill on their new home, before the graves of the many dead and remember a moment of divine love they witnessed among the tragedy of what is known as Zarek's Folly. And they smile, true, happy smiles, because what they saw gave them strength to get here and be able to bury their dead. To raise their living children in peace.

"Oath of the Heart," one of the men says.

"Always true," says a woman, softly. She looks up in the sky with watery eyes and sends a prayer to Divinity that love may ever rule their hearts and minds.


End file.
